Deuteronomy 18:10
There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just listing forbidden practices; it's warning against seeking knowledge or power outside of God's direct revelation. The inclusion of both "burning son or daughter" (a horrific act of offering life) and "divination" (seeking knowledge of the future) side-by-side highlights that God considers both extreme attempts to control destiny and extreme manipulation of life as equally abominable. It underscores that true wisdom and security are found in trusting God's way, not in pagan shortcuts.
As Israel prepares to enter and conquer the land of Canaan, God warns them against adopting the detestable practices of the nations already living there. This passage lists specific forbidden actions, including child sacrifice and various forms of sorcery and divination, which were prevalent among the Canaanites. God emphasizes that embracing these practices will lead to the same judgment that befell the Canaanites, urging Israel to remain pure and devoted solely to Him.
This verse doesn't just list forbidden practices; it starts with a chilling act that reveals a deep societal rot. What does sacrificing children say about those who practice it?
The Ultimate Abomination
Deuteronomy 18:10 opens with a stark prohibition: 'There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering.' This refers to the horrific practice of child sacrifice, most notably to the Canaanite deity Moloch.
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This opening statement sets a tone of absolute rejection for any practice that corrupts fundamental morality and disrespects life itself.
The verse lists several practices related to seeking hidden knowledge. What were these, and why did God forbid His people from engaging with them?
A Web of Deception
The prohibitions that follow 'burning his son or daughter' describe various forms of seeking knowledge or predicting the future through illicit means:
These practices were forbidden because they represented a turning away from trusting God and His appointed means of guidance (like prophets and His Word) toward relying on humanly devised, often demonic, methods. They were seen as corruptions that mimicked true spiritual insight.
Why was God so adamant about these prohibitions? What was at stake for Israel?
The Heart of the Matter: Exclusive Trust
God's detailed prohibitions in Deuteronomy 18:10-12 stem from a deep concern for the spiritual purity and loyalty of His chosen people.
God's command isn't just about avoiding bad behavior; it's about cultivating a radical dependence on Him for all things, especially guidance and security.
Understand the original words
qesem · Hebrew Noun
The act of attempting to obtain secret knowledge or divine guidance through supernatural or occult means, forbidden by God because it seeks knowledge apart from His revealed word and providence.
kashaph · Hebrew Verb/Noun
One who engages in occult arts, spells, or witchcraft to influence events or gain forbidden power, acting in direct rebellion against God's sovereign control.
This passage explicitly forbids offering one's children to Molek by passing them through the fire, directly linking to the most severe practice mentioned in Deuteronomy.
Leviticus 19:26This verse prohibits practicing divination and interpreting omens, elaborating on the general prohibition found in Deuteronomy by using similar terms for these forbidden practices.
1 Samuel 28:3-25This narrative shows Saul consulting the witch of Endor, highlighting the forbidden practice of seeking guidance from the dead and demonstrating the negative consequences of such actions in contrast to obedience.
Galatians 5:19-21The Apostle Paul lists 'sorcery' (which encompasses many of the practices forbidden in Deuteronomy 18) as a work of the flesh, showing that these forbidden arts continue to be a spiritual danger for believers.
Acts 19:18-19This passage describes the repentance of believers in Ephesus who abandoned their former sorcery practices, burning their magical books, which illustrates the practical rejection of these forbidden arts in the early church.
gillDeuteronomy 18:10: "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,"
There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire,.... To Moloch, which was a sort of lustration by fire, two fires being made, and the child led by a priest between them, and which was an initiation of him into the religion of that deity,…
pooleDeuteronomy 18:10: "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,"
To pass through the fire; either by a superstitious lustration or purgation, or by a cruel sacrificing of them. See Leviticus 18:21 2 Kings 17:31 23:10 2 Chronicles 28:3 Psalm 106:37 Jeremiah 7:31 19:5 Ezekiel 16:20,21 Eze 23:37-39 . That useth divination, i.e. foretelleth things secret or to…
This verse isn't just listing forbidden practices; it's warning against seeking knowledge or power outside of God's direct revelation. The inclusion of both "burning son or daughter" (a horrific act of offering life) and "divination" (seeking knowledge of the future) side-by-side highlights that God considers both extreme attempts to control destiny and extreme manipulation of life as equally abominable. It underscores that true wisdom and security are found in trusting God's way, not in pagan shortcuts.
As Israel prepares to enter and conquer the land of Canaan, God warns them against adopting the detestable practices of the nations already living there. This passage lists specific forbidden actions, including child sacrifice and various forms of sorcery and divination, which were prevalent among the Canaanites. God emphasizes that embracing these practices will lead to the same judgment that befell the Canaanites, urging Israel to remain pure and devoted solely to Him.
As Israel prepares to enter and conquer the land of Canaan, God warns them against adopting the detestable practices of the nations already living there. This passage lists specific forbidden actions, including child sacrifice and various forms of sorcery and divination, which were prevalent among the Canaanites. God emphasizes that embracing these practices will lead to the same judgment that befell the Canaanites, urging Israel to remain pure and devoted solely to Him.
"There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer" — This verse isn't just listing forbidden practices; it's warning against seeking knowledge or power outside of God's direct revelation. The inclusion of both "burning son or daughter" (a horrific act…
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